DETROIT – Federal agents spent New Year’s Eve serving a search warrant at the Detroit home of Malik Jamal Rashad Trice, 35, whom they now accuse of trading child sexual abusive material through encrypted apps and cloud storage.
According to a federal complaint, on Dec. 31, 2025, agents served a search warrant at Trice’s Detroit home, where they found him inside. Investigators say they seized an Apple iPhone 16e next to where Trice slept. Trice told law enforcement the phone belonged to him.
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Federal agents uncovered 10 to 15 videos in the “recently deleted” section of the Photos application that met the federal definition of child sexually abusive material, according to the complaint. One video depicted a girl, approximately 7 to 9 years old.
Agents also say Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, was installed on the device. In it, Trice was allegedly involved in multiple chats with groups and individuals both requesting and distributing child sexually abusive material.
In one chat dated Sept. 26, 2025, Trice allegedly engaged in a conversation with another user, identified as Account-1, and it was stated that, “all videos avail CP&Teen incest rapes.” Investigators note that “CP” in this context is a commonly used abbreviation for “child pornography.”
Within that chat, according to the complaint, Trice wrote: “I’m tapped out but I got a lot of folders to trade. I’ll give you like 15 for one if you want.” Account-1 responded, “yeah.” Trice then sent a number of files from Dropbox, an online cloud storage service, including one titled “15-17 instagram pyt thotz” and another titled “all in one pyt2022.”
Investigators say “pyt” refers to “pretty young thing” in this context and that “15-17” refers to the ages of the individuals depicted in the files.
After requesting videos, Account-1 then sent Trice three content preview videos that contained thumbnails depicting minors engaged in sex acts, according to the complaint. One thumbnail allegedly showed a girl, approximately 5 years old.
Trice is charged with Receipt or Distribution of CSAM and Possession of CSAM, and is scheduled for a detention hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2025.
According to the FBI, cases like this highlight how quickly abuse can move from a phone screen to a crime scene. The FBI urges parents, guardians and teachers to stay proactive -- both online and offline.
To report online child sexual exploitation:
Use NCMEC’s electronic Cyber Tipline or call 1-800-843-5678.
The internet makes it easy for predators to reach young people. The FBI says crimes against children often start when an adult:
Builds a relationship with a child online and then arranges to meet and abuse the child, or
Coerces a child into producing sexually explicit images or videos through manipulation, gifts or threats -- a crime known as sextortion.
The most important step, according to the FBI, is having open, ongoing conversations about safe and appropriate online behavior.